Meet Fr. Mike Mayer! In addition to his assignment at Our Lady of Peace parish in Geneva, Fr. Mike also does street evangelization, produces a regular podcast, and is chaplain for Catholic Moms of Rochester! Beyond these forms of service, he is currently in the early stages of forming a home for pregnant women in need. Please keep him and his intentions in your prayers during the month of June. If you would like to send a card along with your prayers, send mail to:

Fr. Michael MayerOur Lady of Peace130 Exchange St.Geneva, NY 14456

Thanks! Keep reading below to learn more about Fr. Mike.

1. When did you know you wanted to be a priest?

I first started thinking about priesthood when I was a senior in college. I was rooming with a friend who planned to enter the Marist Brothers which started me thinking about what I wanted to do after graduation. In 1975 I entered the Paulist Fathers novitiate and studied with the Paulists in Washington, DC. I was ordained a transitional deacon in 1981, but I left the order in 1982. I moved back to Washington, DC where I worked as an administrative aide, a teacher in a Jesuit High School, and as the program director for the National Alliance to End Homelessness. In the early 90s I began to look into church-related vocations: lay missioner, permanent deacon, etc. After three months in a Trappist Abbey as an “observer” I began to look again at priesthood. I eventually made my way back to Rochester, spent two more years studying at The Catholic University of America, and was ordained in 1998. I refer to my situation as an “interrupted vocation.”

2. What do you like to do on your day off?

On my day off I like to go for a drive, if the weather is good, visit with friends, or go up to Niagara Falls and spend the night. I also travel to Buffalo or Niagara-on-the-Lake to see a play or musical.

3. What is one of your favorite Scripture passages?

One of my favorite Scripture passages comes from Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount, 6:21: “For where your heart is, there also will be your heart.”

4. Do you have any particular intentions you'd like us to pray for?I ask for prayers for our diocese that all members would be emboldened by the Holy Spirit to step out in faith and proclaim the Gospel wherever they are.

5. What is one of your favorite books or movies?One of my favorite movies is “Ben Hur.” One of my favorite books is “Ida Elisabeth” by Sigrid Undset.